8 Surprising Things You Can Do With Ashes

If you choose to get cremated then your ashes are going to be all that remains of you after you’re gone. Sure there will be people’s memories and there will be the finances and the inspiring messages that you leave behind – but in terms of your physical remains, your ashes are going to be all that’s leftover.

But in case you thought that was a bad thing, it’s actually a positive in many ways. For one it means you aren’t taking up space and for another it means that your family don’t get wracked with guilt when they let your gravestone become overgrown and untended.

More to the point though, being so small and compact means you can do all kinds of amazing things that you otherwise would never have been able to. Likewise if you have the ashes of a loved one it means that you have plenty of options when it comes to remembering them and helping them live on. Read on to see just a few of them.

Scattering

One of the simplest things to do with ashes is also one of the nicest and the most logical – scattering them somewhere that means somewhere to the person who has passed away. This way they can enjoy their final resting place in the Grand Canyon, or perhaps in a scenic location that they visited often in life. It’s a lot more exciting than ending up in a nameless graveyard that’s for sure!

Go to Space

But why settle for a boring old terrestrial location when you can instead be blasted off into space as your final resting place? It sounds insane, but actually there are several companies that do this and it’s cheaper than you might think. There was even a Kickstarter project launching things into space at one point if you want to do it DIY!

Becoming a Diamond

Diamonds are not only beautiful but also the hardest thing known to man. That’s a pretty cool thing to become, especially if it means that relatives can keep you close on their jewellery. To have yourself or a loved one turned into a diamond you need to be cremated first and then have your carbon compacted down to become a diamond – we’re made of the same stuff!

Growing a Tree

All fertiliser is is a selection of organic materials that plants can repurpose into plant food and thus sustain themselves as they grow. Now of course you can’t actually become a tree (people and trees are not made of the same stuff…), but what you can do is to have your ashes scattered on the soil where you plant a new tree and that way contribute to the circle of life.

Be in a Painting

Having a portrait painted is a great way to be remembered after you’re gone, but it works even better if the painting is made from your ashes. Just have your remains mixed into the paint and this is something you can do relatively easily. Now all you need to do is to find someone who has the skill to paint something that’s beautiful and that represents you. Likewise your ashes can be turned into ink for writing…

Tattoos

Or for tattoos. Many people like to get tattoos to remember their loved ones by, so why not take this one step further to its obvious logical conclusion and have your ashes actually turned into ink for tattoos. That way you can be a part of someone else forever…

Be in an Hour Glass

The above are examples of things that are popular to do with ashes, or that have been done multiple times at least. But in reality you can really do pretty much anything you like with your ashes and there are many people who have demonstrated this with unique, amusing and clever uses for their remains. One particularly clever and humorous example: having your ashes kept in an hourglass.

Live on a Windowsill

And lastly there’s the traditional option of staying in an Urn on the windowsill giving your loved ones a keepsake and a memorial that they can keep close to hand.